Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is a cancer that infects the prostate gland. This type of cancer only affects men and it is the second most common cancer among men. This cancer occurs 1 in 8 men in the U.S. Men above the age of 50 are more likely to get infected. This cancer is very deadly as it kills around 400,000 people world wide every year. It can be identified through prostate biopsy and imaging tests (MRI, CT, bone scan) to check for spread. Symptoms can include trouble urinating, blood in the urine or semen, and erectile dysfunction. Some risk factors can include if the man is over 50 as most cases happen when the man is older, having African heritage as African American men have the most cases in prostate cancer, and if someone has prostate cancer as a relative (like a father) increases the likelihood by 50%.
The growth of prostate cancer can be divided into stages.
Stage 1: very small tumor, confined to prostate, and very slow growing
Stage 2: larger tumor but still confined to the prostate
Stage 3: tumor extends outside of the prostate and starts to infect other parts of the body
Stage 4: cancer spreads to lymph nodes and organs
pictures of the stages of growth
Some ways to treat prostate cancer is surgery which removes the prostate. In severe conditions, doctors may use hormone therapy to get rid of testosterone to stop the growth of cancer. If the hormone therapy fails, doctors may use chemotherapy that kills cancer cells but may also kill healthy cells. In the first 3 stages, the people usually die in the next 10-20+ years. In stage 4 cancer, it is the most aggressive and the survival rates go down to 32%.
refrences cited:
https://www.bedayahospitals.com/en/prostate-cancer http://cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html#:~:text=older%20than%2065.-,Race/ethnicity,in%20non-Hispanic%20White%20men. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prostate-cancer/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353093?utm_source=chatgpt.com